4 ms·
“It's not Americans I find annoying; it's Americanism: a social disease of the postindustrial world that must inevitably infect each of the mercantile nations i
by hyperhello 3y ago
“It's not Americans I find annoying; it's Americanism: a social disease of the postindustrial world that must inevitably infect each of the mercantile nations in turn, and is called 'American' only because your nation is the most advanced case of the malady, much as one speaks of Spanish flu, or Japanese Type-B encephalitis. It's symptoms are a loss of work ethic, a shrinking of inner resources, and a constant need for external stimulation, followed by spiritual decay and moral narcosis. You can recognize the victim by his constant efforts to get in touch with himself, to believe his spiritual feebleness is an interesting psychological warp, to construe his fleeing from responsibility as evidence that he and his life are uniquely open to new experiences. In the later stages, the sufferer is reduced to seeking that most trivial of human activities: fun.”
― Trevanian, Shibumi
- TulliusCicero 3y agoWhat a strange quote. Seems to have only limited basis in reality.
- kcb 3y agoHonestly after reading that I'm not even sure what position they're trying to take.
- grungydan 3y agoWhat useless, self-important horse manure.
- Supermancho 3y agoTrevanian is a pen name, Shibumi is a book from 1979. He was routinely critical of American culture, which is sometimes called Western culture. I'm not sure why some people think it's verbal vomit, but apparently it's disturbing enough that they feel the need to respond with vague antithetical statements. His writings incited emotional responses, intentionally.
- hyperhello 3y agoIt’s a profoundly non-nerdy book. The main character has so much disdain for the trite and linear ways of the Westerner that suffuses the entire narrative. I thought it was a brilliant achievement the first time I read it cover to cover, and still do.